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Friday, February 20, 2015

Agent Jodell Sadler Talks Picture Books

Have you heard? It's Kidlit Week over at Sub It Club! So far we have picture book critique giveaways from authors Amy Dixon and Katy S. Duffield, as well as a proofread from Dori Kleber. We have feedback opportunities and great posts for picture book writers and illustrators alike from Mark Fearing and Sarah Frances Hardy. Plus you can enter to win an autographed picture book from Corey Rosen Schwartz. And now I'm going to give you a scoop: Tomorrow on the Sub It Club blog we'll be giving away a free participation in agent Jodell Sadler's online course, Pacing Picture Books To Wow!

Jodell's agency, Sadler Children's Literary, represents authors as well as and author-illustrators. Jodell is open to picture book submissions and is here to talk about what she looks for when it comes to picture books in part 1 of my interview with her. You'll be able to find part 2 tomorrow on the Sub It Club blog. For now, read on to learn what Jodell looks for in picture book submissions and more:

Why do you choose to
represent picture book authors?

I love picture books! Picture
books remain that toy that spans from 1 to 101 and has staying power. I love
the power of words and their magic and it feeds into my study on Pacing Picture
Books to Wow. I have a picture book that I have kept a long time. It was one
that was held by the many generations in my family, and I love it. It made it
through my childhood, managed to escape a dog incident, and escorted me into my
college years at Mount Mary University.

What types of stories
do you see a place for in today’s picture book market?

Many. Whatever is in a
writer’s heart-- if they can carry it onto the page in an original way. I know,
not fair, but really, the minute we think a book cannot be done, one is birthed
into the world. Picture book are just a visual and aural treat for kids. What
would the world be like without them?

What types of picture
books do you represent (or not represent) specifically?

I’m not a fan of
message-driven, but love any type of picture book, fiction and nonfiction. I
also enjoy graphic novel manuscripts that fit into that little older genre.

How do you feel about
picture books written in rhyme?

I love a rhyming
picture book if it is done well. It has to be visual and concrete and so well
done that it sings. When I see one that works, it will work. But it’s a tough
write. A writer has to be 100% committed to do what it takes to make it move
forward with a strong story arc.

On your website you
say, “I’m really interested in working with you to get your story all sparkly
and ‘just right’ and right into the hands of the right publisher.” In general,
how much revision do you do with clients to get their picture books submission
ready?

I love working with
clients on picture book revision. It’s fun to work to really polish a piece of
writing. I just recently worked on a picture book that was so honed, but only
had a few words here and there that needed to be considered and challenged. The
writer and I went back and forth until it we both felt like each word was ‘just
right.’

If you take on a
client because of their mass market appeal picture books, would you also
represent other things they wrote, such as educational or board books, if they
had merit?

Yes. I do work with
clients from fiction board books to young adult (and new adult), but I also
enjoy nonfiction picture books to nonfiction proposals. I would go outside my
scope for titles my writers were working on like an adult memoir, for example.

What are some of the
elements you think a picture book needs to be successful?

I completely believe
in Pacing a Picture Book to Wow and really look for all the tools I talk about
in my online 4-week course: words, rhythm, repetition, etc. because the
musicality of language, the ability to get on the page of your writing, and
really slow and speed the unfolding of a story to enhance reader experience is
a must in today’s competitive marketplace. If you’d like to see more about
this, please visit my website: http://www.sadlercreativeliterary.com/pacing-2-wow-class.html.

Are there common
mistakes you see in picture book submissions in particular?

Yes. I see cover pages
that are far too long, poetry that is very abstract, and concepts that have
been done so often they would be hard to sell like seasonal books. I also see
books that have not been honed down to some 500 words. Writers really need to
take the time to pull their words back and make their picture books an
infectious experience. We should want to hear it again and again. In my recent
Pacing Picture Books to Wow class for January, we had a few books like this.
It’s a lot of fun to find that manuscript that is ready for editorial eyes.

Do you have any upcoming projects that you'd like to share with us?

We have a few upcoming
projects: a MG nonfiction story about strong women, a great author-illustrator
picture book about a feisty witch and even feistier cat, a picture book about a
very small creature that one man works to save, and an illustrated MG series—and
so much more in the works. We’ve done a game project and covers this past
season as well, and I hope we will do a whole lot more in 2015, including one
really exciting project that hugs my heart.

Thank you so much, Jodell, for talking picture books here with us! Everyone, please come over to the Sub It Club blog to read part 2 of my interview with Jodell where she talks submissions and is giving away a chance to win her Pacing Picture Books To Wow! course to one lucky winner.

Hey ladies! That was just lovely. AWESOME! I'll be back tomorrow to read the rest. Manju is participating in my PB 14:14 event (from February 14 to February 28) where we read, study, and share 14 picture books in 14 days. We study the Top 10 Elements of Picture Books, which I'm pretty sure are also in Jodell's class. Heather is guest blogging on Saturday (day 8 of the 14-day event) and one of the grand prize items is a critique from Jodell! Come check it out!

Great interview. I see that the current trend is leaning toward 500 words or less, but I wonder if stories longer then that are considered if they are finely honed and the extra words are necessary to the story?

Great post, ladies! Thank you, Heather...it's hard to believe it's been two years for Sub It Club.:)Jodell, it's so helpful for writers to see the world from the eyes of an agent...congratulations on the successes of 2014...here's to many more in 2015!